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Emotional Pain - what is it?

Unknown userMember16 June 2017, 8:50 pm AEST

Emotional Pain - what is it?

Have you ever wondered what exactly is your emotional pain? We know we're hurting, but can we describe it? My psychologist asks me to describe it. What does it feel like? she adks, Where do you feel it in your being? ... ... It stumps me every time and leaves me thinking maybe it is irrelevant - because i cant put it in words or measure it.

I think maybe its that emotional disconnect we have, from trauma (PTSD), that makes it harder.

Anyway, i have started a journey to try get my head around this monster behind my MI. One of my labels is BPD which is listed as the most painful state (this may interest many of us here on the forums), along with losing a child... hmm... ... I've had both so i'm starting to think perhaps its not all 'in my head' so to speak, or just 'attention seeking - as some have judged - rather, I must be some kinda 'superhuman' to still be alive - how's that for a positive twist lol

Does anyone else lack of understanding of emotional pain? I'd like to hear your thoughts. It could be validating / healing. The forums seem a good place to exchange experience and knowledge about it. Nobody in my real world is connecting.

This is a bit about emotional / psychological pain I found on wikipedia (go directly to the link if you prefer).

EMOTIONAL / PSYCHOLOGICAL PAIN (algopsychalia and psychalgia), also referred to as mental pain, emotional pain, psychic pain, social pain, spiritual pain, soul pain, or suffering.
Psychological pain is about non physical pain (physical pain caused by psychological factors is *psychogenic pain). Psychological pain or mental pain is an unpleasant feeling (a suffering) of a psychological, non-physical, origin. A pioneer in the field of suicidology, Edwin S. Shneidman, described it as "how much you hurt as a human being. It is mental suffering; mental torment." Widely recognised profoundly unpleasant feeling. Psychological pain is believed to be an inescapable aspect of human existence...
To read the fill article, go to wikipedia:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_pain

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In response to: Emotional Pain - what is it?

Unknown userMember01 July 2017, 8:36 pm AEST

Re: Emotional Pain - what is it?

@NatalieS, welcome to the thread, thank you for posting here. Its a difficult question to answer. Some say emotional pain is harder to take than physical. I don't know. They are so different

Sadly I avoid pain automatically, but come to realise it going through it is the best way, not avoidance 😞 I:m working on this

Oh sorry. Keep falling asleep, hope I'm making sense. Betta go, night 🌷☺🌞

In response to: Re: Emotional Pain - what is it?

NatalieSSenior Contributor01 July 2017, 9:18 pm AEST

Re: Emotional Pain - what is it?

Hi lapses, thankyou for the warm welcome. I forgot to add that for months I would phone a 24 hour counselling service wanting someone to help make the emotional pain go away. I can understand physical pain, but the pain that I can't explain-emotional, spiritual, whatever one might label it-seems to hurt forever and never leaves. Hope I'm not rambling. It's difficult to define emotional pain, I'm stumped.

Sleep well.

In response to: Emotional Pain - what is it?

Unknown userMember02 July 2017, 10:41 am AEST

Re: Emotional Pain - what is it?

I'm stumped too NatalieS, that's why I put the question out there (here). Its a kind inner torment, torture, distress I guess. A call for help where there is no help. A screaming out a language that nobody seems to understand... An isolation maybe, alone, empty....

Just occurred to me how NEGATIVE emotional pain really is. And destructive even. The word PAIN kinda rules out anything positive, on the surface anyhow. Maybe this is why nobody wants to go there much, to define / understand it. It would be ake a strong person to take it on I guess. Write a paper on it or something.

Maybe If they really addressed emotional pain - there might be less suicides, I suspect. It seems to me that its this distress that SI is trying to take us away from, when dying seems the only way out. Oh, just realised, if its a spirit thing, does it go with us in the afterlife? Scarey concept 😞 - na, gotta burn off in transport perhaps - a cleansing. Hmm, God won't have it there I'd think.

But, meanwhile, back at the ranch - THE HERE AND NOW, is the real issue I guess, not the uncertain.

TODAY, right now, I know I am sitting on a soft chair in my living room, in front if soothing heater on a winters day. My feet are warm, my cup of tea is amazing, one of my kidz text me a hello 🙂 and although physically alone, I don't feel much emotional pain.

Physical pain is another thing, just realised my Rt knee is throbbing, lower back aches, but also a pain I can stop - hunger - time for breakfast lol

Love you guys, have a great day...

Keppet, hope u haven't depressed you before. Might research this topic more myself, put domething more helpful up here maybe, be a little less subjective. Let me know if you're OK? But right now I really gotta eat something 🙂

In response to: Emotional Pain - what is it?

Unknown userMember02 July 2017, 11:58 am AEST

Re: Emotional Pain - what is it?

Just googled "Emotional Pain definition" this was the first nutshell:

"Psychological pain or mental pain is an unpleasant feeling (a suffering) of a psychological, non-physical, origin. A pioneer in the field of suicidology, Edwin S. Shneidman, described it as "how much you hurt as a human being. It is mental suffering; mental torment."

So, Emotional Pain is:
- an unpleasant feeling
- a non-physical discomfort
- a suffering
- a mental torment

In response to: Re: Emotional Pain - what is it?

NatalieSSenior Contributor02 July 2017, 1:59 pm AEST

Re: Emotional Pain - what is it?

lapses, the Google definition that you came across is the closest to things that I've felt in trying to describe emotional pain. I agree that it's mental torment, a suffering, non-physical discomfort and an unpleasant feeling. Makes it difficult to explain to others that you're suffering when you can't explain the pain you're experiencing. And when things are like that for me that's when I start rocking back and forth in an effort to soothe myself, and that's when I want to escape into my own world.

Lovely sunny, but chilly, day here..making the most of the weather to get all the washing done and dried outside. Back to work on Tuesday after a break so making sure everything's ready. Have been sitting outside cuddling my dog and worshipping the sun...but now its time to put the washing on the line. Enjoy the rest of your day.

In response to: Re: Emotional Pain - what is it?

KeppetContributor03 July 2017, 8:06 am AEST

Re: Emotional Pain - what is it?

@NatalieS@Former-Member There's words, like you've put up from Google and Wiki but was is mental torment? Sure we know it's "suffering, non-physical discomfort and an unpleasant feeling." But if I stubb my toe I can describe the pain as shart, throbbing and it will make me walk gingerly on that foot until the pain goes away, could bring tears to my eyes. Everyone who witnessed me do that would all know instantly that I stubbed my toe & understand my pain.

When I suffer mental torment, how does that feeling translate to words others can relate to? Can others recognise your pain, will others see it as you do? I feel that's why we feel isolated, because unless someone has THAT feeling it's hard for them to walk in your shoes. Like you I ponder what is it, I do so maybe I can accept it easier, because if I try to ignore it, it's like a wave washing onto the rocks, looks harmless right, but those waves will eventaully wear away that rock. I have to challange it and take it on, I don't want to be worn away. But that's me, we all have our own issues, our own way with dealing it, we all have our own level of sucess and defeats.

We get professional advice and we can accept & follow it, but I think that goes to motivation and concetration, sometimes we lack these.

But now I have strayed off topic, one's description of pain I guess is subjective.

😃

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